Change
by Rioku Mattenake
Summary: Things change. Ash Ketchum knew this better than anyone. He had always improved in his carreer as a trainer, however, when his long chain of success crashes down, he shows the most improvement. Ash learns what makes a trainer different than an elite, and he's ready to take the world by storm. All it took was a little push towards maturity from a childhood friend. Rated T to be safe
1. Chapter 1 - Defeat

A/n Here goes my first attempt at a fanfic. I should apologize up front for the length of this chapter. I wanted it to be longer, but I couldn't come up with anything more to add since I knew where I wanted it to end. Shippings and stuff... read and find out.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

-Summary

Things change. Ash Ketchum knew this better than anyone. He had always improved in his carrier as a trainer, however, when his long chain of success crashes down, he shows the most improvement. Ash learns what makes a trainer different than an elite, and he's ready to take the world by storm. All it took was a little push towards maturity from a childhood friend.

* * *

_'Why did I do that… That was my year…'_

-Flashback-

"Welcome to the 43rd Unova League! Today we have a series of intense battles for you in the first elimination round!" An announcer's voice rang loudly through the speakers. A young man no older than 15 stands in the waiting area for participants wearing a simple blue hoodie jeans and hat.

_'This time. This time I will win.'_

He pulls his gloves and a small yellow mouse climbs onto his shoulder as he walks out to the arena. The air was thick with tension. He felt this was his final test. Something was different about this match and he knew it as he entered the field.

The stands were packed to the brim with fans looking to see great battles. The stadium was very impressive with a massive field large enough to hold even a Wailord. The trainer walked out onto the red colored side of the field and stood facing the trainer standing on the opposing green side. The wind picked up and the immense tension of this match became clear to the audience's view.

The speaker screeched through the air, "The two trainers are now entering the field. On the red side we have Ash! And on the green side, Trip!"

_'That's why I felt so uneasy.'_ He though with a grimace. Trip had been Ash's rival since he came to Unova, while Ash was the superior trainer, Trip had a large amount of formidable pokemon at his disposal.

"This will be a one on one single elimination match, begin!" The announcer screamed enthusiastically through the speakers.

"Go, Serperior." Trip called out his starter with little enthusiasm.

Ash looked to the little yellow mouse on his shoulder, "Ready Pikachu?" The mouse looked at his trainer, gave a, "Pika!" and jumped onto the field.

The battle dragged on and on. Swift exchanges of Leaf Storms, Electro Balls, and Thunderbolts carried on for nearly an hour. The announcer had lost all bearing in reality as he screamed the play by play at the very top of his lungs. One on one matches like this were completely unheard of outside of battles between regional champions. Both sides were feeling the heat of the battle. Trip's Serperior was breathing very heavily and struggled to move, while Ash's Pikachu had used so much electricity it had a hard time aiming its attacks. As it looked, Ash was in a good position to win, then, it happened.

Trip's Serperior managed to catch Pikachu in a wrap attack, however, he did not just simply wrap Pikachu as he had done earlier in the match. Serperior completely engulfed Pikachu's head in its mouth, preventing its usual Thunderbolt escape and chocking the rodent in the process.

_'What is Trip doing!?'_ Ash thought angrily. _'Pikachu can't escape without seriously injuring Serperior!'_

"Trip what are you doing!?" He shouted at his opponent. Pikachu was running out or air fast, he had to think or risk serious injury to either Pikachu or Serperior.

Trip put on a smirk, "I'm ensuring my win. You wouldn't dare call an attack such a high risk of permanent injury."

Ash could hardly believe Trip would pull such a cowardly trick. His mind was racing tring to figure out a way to overcome this situation, _'That's what he's doing! Come on Ash think!'_

"Pika pi…" Ash heard the cry of his Pokemon through all the noise. Then his mind came across a possibility that he had never even considered in his carrier as a trainer.

'What if I give up? Pikachu won't be hurt anymore, Serperior won't be injured, and I will go home just like every previous league, what's the difference?' The air around him suddenly felt heavy and all noise ceased in the arena. To all the spectators in the arena and watching on television it felt as if Ash was the only person in the entire arena. Ash Ketchum, the trainer renown throughout many regions as the trainer who never gave up, stood with a white cloth held above his head. The audience knew Trip had pulled a dirty trick to try to squeeze a win, but not a single person had expected Ash to give up. To Ash, Unova was over.

Serperior released a heavily panting Pikachu and returned to its trainer's side. Trip stood there with a smug look on his face. Ash Ketchum was the prime target to take victory in this league and with him out of the way, Trip knew he stood a much better chance of winning.

The stadium fell quiet. The announcer stood with his mouth wide open starring at the field as Ash walked into the middle of the field, took Pikachu into his arms, and walked out of the arena.

"I-I don't believe it folks, but Ash Ketchum has forfeit! Trip is the winner!" The announcer stuttered out.

-End Flashback-

* * *

Ash sat, looking towards the floor, on his bed back in Pallet, _'Why, why couldn't I figure a way out…'_ he mentally chastised himself as Pikachu quietly slept beside him. Ash's mother, Delia, looked at him with worry. He had been home for five days now and had yet to even do so much as visit his Pokemon. She had decided the best thing to do was leave him alone, but he was only becoming worse.

_'Was I too weak? Did I not prepare enough?'_ Ash was beside himself. In every league he had ever participated in he had made it to the top sixteen full battle rounds. This time he lost his first match, no, _the_ first match. It took one move, one, for Trip to take complete control of the match. Trip could have done that at any time, and the outcome would have been the same. The more Ash thought about, the further and further and answer seemed. He couldn't find a way to win no matter how hard he tried. Ash began to think of himself as a weak trainer. He couldn't face his Pokemon. He couldn't face anyone. "I-I'm a disgrace…" he mumbled quietly to himself.

"Ash Ketchum you are anything but a disgrace!" His mother shouted. Ash looked up from his position, his depressed state etched into his face. His mother approached him, "How many trainers can claim to have done what you have?"

Ash spoke softly, "What have I ever done but let down everyone…"

"Honey, you haven't let anybody down. You were in a no win scenario. It isn't like you to be so down about a loss." Delia spoke softly to her son.

Ash returned to looking at the floor, "I suppose you're right mom. I've always bounced back from defeat before, but, I don't even know why anymore. It always ends the same."

Delia stood straight and took a commanding pose. "Ash, it's about time you visited your Pokemon don't you think?" She projected with an aura of superiority that could command even the most hardened individual. Ash, however, continued to sit there, unmoving. Delia grabbed Ash by the back of his collar and dragged him up from his depressed position and made him look directly at her eyes, "I said, isn't it time you visited your Pokemon."

Ash knew that resisting his mom when she's like this was a bad idea. "Alright mom alright." He groaned out.

"That's better, now I expect you at Professor Oak's lab first thing in the morning, and home no later than five." Delia spoke with her usual jovial motherly tone.

Ash woke up early the next morning; the sun had yet to rise. He gently woke Pikachu and prepared for the day. 'Will they even like me?' he wondered. Ash had lost all confidence in himself and had begun to think his Pokemon had lost their confidence in his skill as a trainer. Ash left a note for his mother and headed out to the Oak Pokemon Research Facility.

Ash took the longer seaside route to the Professor's lab. The ocean was very calming in the early morning, something Ash needed. Surprise hit Ash when he found the Professor standing on a sea cliff looking out into the sunrise. Ash approached the Professor, but froze behind him; afraid to face one of the people he respected most.

"It's a beautiful sight." The professor spoke softly as he looked out to sea, knowing very well of Ash's presence. "This sight is the reason I stayed in pallet Ash. It inspires me every time I see it. I remember when I first came here on my journey." The professor rarely talked about his time as a Pokemon trainer; always saying it was in the past. "I was a mess of a Pokemon trainer. I had no confidence whatsoever. I came here after losing to Blaine. He was just a young guy way back then, the newest gym leader and first on the circuit. I was crushed after losing to him. But when I saw this, I somehow gained the confidence to move forward. It gave me enough confidence to go all the way to the Pokemon league and win." He declared with a gentle smile as he turned away from the sunrise to face Ash. "I made a promise to myself the day I first saw this. I promised that I would return and make my life here."

Ash saw the professor in a new light. He never thought of him as anything but a tower of knowledge and strength. "I hope I find a place that does the same for me. It doesn't feel like I belong here anymore." Ash whispered the last bit.

Oak looked Ash in the eyes, "Ash, you will keep traveling and find a place that you can call home. You are the most stubborn gutsy trainer I have ever met. You have gone through experiences that would make most trainers turn tail and quit, one on your first day. Stay true to who you are, don't stop being a gutsy risk taker. It's who you are Ash." The Professor's voice faded as he began walking. Ash picked himself out of the stupor he was in. '_The Professor is right, I can't stop now, I may not know why I do these things anymore, but that won't stop me' _Ash thought as he walked behind the Professor. _'I will be your strength' _the phrase randomly entered Ash's head.

Once Ash arrived at the Professor's lab he was instantly tackled by the horde that was all of his Pokemon in their usual fashion. Ash was shocked. 'You guy's…' he thought with joy. "H-how can you guy's still be so nice to me even after I let all of you down?" Ash asked with strong emotion in his voice.

"They all love you as their trainer and master. A simple defeat is nothing to their relationship with you." Oak answered his question in a sagacious tone. "That's why I have a proposition for you."

Ash looked up from his Pokemon to the Professor, "What kind of proposition Professor?" he inquired, his voice still filled with emotion.

"I know of a region with Pokemon you have never seen before, and, debatably, the toughest league in existence." Oak stated with a rather unusual grin. "If you want to prove to yourself that you are a strong trainer, I can think no place better."

Ash looked to his Pokemon and back to the Professor, "If there is any way I will get my confidence back, it'll be by taking on the toughest challenges I can. Professor when do I leave?" a voice came from Ash. It sounded the same but carried a much more mature feel to it.

Oak's face pulled into a huge grin, "Ash, you are going to the Kalos region."

* * *

A small red flying Pokemon enters a room and lands on a sleeping girl with long dark blonde hair. The small bird raises its head and pecks the person sleeping beneath it.

"AAAAAAEEEEEEE!" A young girl, roughly the same age as Ash screams as she is rather rudely woken by the small red bird.

"Fletchling~" is the bird's simple response to the girl's scream as it swiftly dodge's a pillow thrown its way.

"I've told you a million times not to wake me up like that!" the girl screams as she makes a dive for the bird who simply dodges and give another, "Fletchling~" as the girl lands face first on the floor.

"Serena time for morning training." A voice rings through the girl, Serena's, room. Serena pulls herself up from the floor with a groan, "Not again…" she says to herself.

Serena opens the window and peers out into the morning sun, "Hope today's interesting." If only she knew how interesting.

* * *

So review, critique, flame, whatever. I'll try to update as often as I can which should be at least once a week.


	2. Chapter 2 - A New Start

A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys. I went through and hopefully fixed all the errors that slipped by. Just a note for everyone reading, the Serena snippets do not occur at the same time as what is happening to Ash. The Serena parts take place over one day until I show where the time between Serena and Ash overlaps. I apparently have more free time than I thought, here's chapter two.

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon**

"Ash Ketchum get out of bed this instant!" Delia's voice rings loudly through the room. The noise was more than enough to wake Ash with a resounding _"Thud" _as he fell from his bed. "Now that you're up you best get dressed and come down for breakfast. I laid out new clothes for you in front of your room. You don't want to miss your flight to Kalos."

Ash rolled over and look towards his ceiling, 'Right I leave today… This journey should be interesting.'

* * *

-Earlier yesterday-

Ash Ketchum stands in the middle of a field looking out at all his Pokemon. "Alright guys. This time we are doing some things differently." Ash spoke in a dignified manner. "Up until now I've always started each journey with just Pikachu and only used the Pokemon I caught in that region. This time I'll do things a bit differently." He looked up to the sky then returned to his Pokemon. "When it comes time for a gym match, I will use some of you guys on my team."

Ash had little more than a second to escape the horde of Pokemon that tackled him. Bayleaf nailed him to the ground only to be half absorbed half pushed off by an overly happy Muk. It didn't take long for Ash's thirty Tauros to overwhelm the pile and carry him off. '_I didn't expect this. I guess I should give it one more try… I will be your shield.' _The same voice he heard earlier resounded through his mind. 'Why do I keep hearing this? I just need to ignore it.'

The Tauros eventually ended their romp to eat and sleep. Ash, covered in bruises from his overly affectionate Pokemon, laying the middle of a field starring at the darkening sky. _'Something feels different about this journey. I feel like, like, if I don't do everything I can something will happen.' _Ash closed his eyes and continued to lay on the ground listening to the rush of the wind through the field and the chirps of the bird Pokemon. _'I don't really understand. It's like I'm excited but sad at the same time. I feel like I need to be in Kalos, but I'm nowhere near as excited as I normally am for a new journey.'_

* * *

-End Flashback-

Ash felt as if he was going to enter a challenge far tougher than any he had faced before. His usual cheery childish appeared to have almost entirely left his body, he had a look in his eyes that showed a level of knowledge that he never had before. The air grew thick around him as he continued to ponder his journey.

"Ash Ketchum you have five minutes. And don't forget to put on a clean pair of underwear." His mother's voice rang through his room once more.

Ash sat up with a groan, 'I guess I need to hurry up.' he groaned mentally. Pikachu was somehow still sleeping, so Ash decided to wake up his electric rodent. It was the perfect opportunity to get a little revenge on the mouse for all his electric alarm clock moments. Ash gently picked up Pikachu, careful not to wake him, carried him over to the bathroom, and dropped him in the toilet. _"Splash"_ "PIKA!"

A still smoking Ash Ketchum walked down into his kitchen. He wore a simple blue and white shirt with dark jeans and plain red cap with a simple white arch above a white brim instead of his usual full Pokeball design. The clothes were much simpler than what he had worn in the past and gave him the image of a professional. He took a seat at his kitchen table as a still soggy Pikachu followed behind. Delia had made a rather large meal with all kinds of breakfast foods. It was gone in less than five minutes. Delia smiled at her son, _'No matter how old he gets his appetite never changes'_ She looked at the clock, "Ash you need to hurry or you'll miss your flight. You should have gotten up the first time I called you." Delia spoke while pointing towards the clock. She sighed as a door slammed shut and a sausage hit the floor. "He's grown so much since he started, but he's still the same Ash."

"Pikachu come on hurry we're gonna miss the flight!" Ash screamed to his partner. "Pika!"

Ash broke into a sprint to try and reach the plane in time. He hadn't realized that he was running late this morning until his mother directed his attention towards the clock.

"Need a ride?" Ash looked up to see Professor Oak driving his jeep alongside him.

"Professor! Yes, please. I would really appreciate it." Exclaimed Ash as he jumped into the moving roofless vehicle along with Pikachu.

The Professor sped up a little and continued towards the airport. "I somehow had the feeling you would be late today. I had a similar feeling when you started your journey, which is why I held back Pikachu." Professor Oak had known Ash would start with Pikachu for years, ever since a certain incident with a time traveling pixie. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't have given a starter to a trainer who arrived so late, but after witnessing what type of trainer Ash would become, Oak knew he needed to give Ash that Pikachu.

"Professor what do you mean?" Ash inquired in response to the Professor's statement.

Oak leaned back a little in his seat and responded, "It's nothing but the whim of an old man Ash. Don't worry about it." The early morning air felt heavy on the passengers of that vehicle. Oak felt as if the old Ash was dying, he was afraid that the gutsy risk taking Ash was becoming a more cautious individual as he grew into maturity. He felt as if Ash was becoming a person who would second guess himself at every opportunity. As Oak pulled the jeep to a stop at a traffic light he turned to Ash and said, "Ash, you need to stay the way you have always been."

Ash looked back at the professor with a puzzled expression on his face, "What? I'm still me."

The professor sighed as he pulled out from the traffic stop, "You should never stop being the gutsy risk taker you are Ash. Remember that." Oak told Ash but in his thoughts he held doubt, _'Ash you are at the stage in your life where you create the character you are for the rest of your life, don't waste your talents.'_

The professor arrived at the airport and bid farewell to Ash, "Be sure to call your mother once you arrive in Kalos, and since you'll be in Luminose, why don't you stop by Augustine Sycamore's laboratory. I'm sure he would help you get started in the Kalos region." Oak waved as he drove back towards his lab. The plane was large with two seating decks; clearly designed for long flights. As the plane departed for the long trip to Kalos, Ash was hit with a sudden rush of realization, "Hey Pikachu, we forgot to bring the Pokemon we agreed on…"

* * *

"Whaa! W-whoa!"

"Serena, close your mouth. You don't wanna bite your tongue." A woman calls out to a young girl in a pink jumpsuit riding a bucking Ryhorn. "Serena, remember you've got to think like a Ryhorn." The woman continues.

"E-easy for y-you to sa-ay!" Serena screams at the top of her lungs as she rides the bucking Ryhorn.

Serena's mother puts on an enthusiastic face as a Fletchling lands next to her, "I've competed in Ryhorn races all around the world and you can do it too, just stay with it." She raises her fist and shouts, "Be one with Ryhorn!" as Serena is bucked off the Ryhorn face first into the ground. "Or not…" sighs Serena's mother.

Serena pushed her face up from the ground. _'I've been in Ryhorn training for over five years now. Mom always makes me do this every day when she's home. Just because she's a famous Ryhorn racer doesn't mean I have to too. I-I can't do this anymore. I will become a trainer just like I always dreamed!'_ Serena raises her dirt covered face to the sky and shouts, "Mom! I hate this!" with every fiber of her being.

* * *

_"Attention all passengers, we are now arriving at Lumiose International in the Kalos region. Please return all seats to their upright position, fasten all seatbelts, and stow all loose baggage. We are beginning our decent. The local time is 12:32 pm."_ An announcer's voice rang through the speakers on the plane. The noise woke the sleeping Ash and Pikachu.

"Well buddy, it looks like we're here." Ash looked out the window at the midday Kalos region as the plane came to a land. Ash sat looking out the window for a while whilst the other passengers left the plain. _'The Kalos region huh. I wonder what kinds of Pokemon we will meet.'_ Ash was lost in his thoughts as quite comically tripped and fell down the boarding staircase landing flat on his face. "Ugh… Who put the ground here?" He groaned as he stood up.

_'I suppose the first thing I should do is find Professor Sycamore's lab and get my Pokemon transferred over.'_ Ash felt a strange emotion upon entering the Kalos region. He felt strangely happy and content. He didn't feel excited as per usual when entering a new region, nor did he feel depressed about his loss as he had been over the last few weeks. It was a strange emotion to him, one he hadn't felt since childhood.

_'I will be your sword.'_ The strange voice rang through Ash's mind once more. _'I really need to stop hearing things.' _He disregarded the voice and continued on his way.

After wandering around Lumiose city for a few hours, Ash eventually found Professor Sycamore's lab. The building did not look like your usual laboratory; instead, it resembled a large mansion with a purple roof and beige exterior. Ash had passed the building several times while running through the city, the only reason he found it was because he was lucky enough to stop and read one of the statues in front of the lab that read 'Sycamore Pokemon research facility.'

_'Perhaps running as fast as you can in a random direction isn't the best way to get where you need to go' _He mentally chastised himself. _"Knock, knock"_ The resounding thuds from Ash's knocking sounded throughout the lab. "Hello? Professor Sycamore?" Ash's voice echoed with the thuds of the knocks.

"Aaawww… Coming." An older man's voice returned through the door. The door opened in front of where Ash was standing; behind it stood a middle aged man with long curly dark hair and the makings of a scruffy beard on his edgy face (A/N: face it, Sycamore is about as edgy of a person as it gets in Pokemon).

Ash looked at the slightly taller man, "Are you professor Sycamore?" he asked.

"Ah yes you must be Ash. Professor Oak told me I should be expecting you. I believe you forgot a few Pokemon back in Kanto?" the middle aged man asked.

Ash scratched the back of his head in a nervous manner, "He told you about that, heh… I was in a rush when I left." He replied to the professor with a nervous grin stretching across his face.

"Please come in." Sycamore beckoned Ash to enter, "Garchomp would you please finish up what I was doing, I have some guests to attend too." A large blue and red dragon with long fins and a yellow star on its nose let out a low growl and nodded in response to the Professor's request.

Ash looked at the Garchomp with stars in his eyes, "Aww check it out a Garchomp!" he spoke with a high level of enthusiasm. Ash had always been a huge fan of Garchomp ever since he saw the Sinnoh region champion completely destroy one of his past rival's team.

Sycamore looked over to Garchomp as it walked away, "Garchomp lives here at the lab." He turned to look at Ash and beckoned for Ash to follow, "It has a good heart."

The professor led Ash to the Poketransporter so Ash could contact Professor Oak and retrieve his forgotten Pokemon. "Hey Professor, what kind of research are you doing?" Ash asked along the way.

Augustine turned and stopped to look at Ash, "Well, if I told you that Pokemon may have an additional evolutionary stage, what would you say?" he asked Ash with a smirk.

This piqued Ash's interest, because he, like many others thought that Pokemon could only evolve twice. "Are you serious? Does that mean Garchomp can still evolve?" he spoke in a stupor.

"Possibly, that's my research." responded Sycamore in a jovial manor. "There have been several reports of Pokemon evolving in a way we researchers call Mega Evolution. Mega evolution is different from normal evolution because the Pokemon can return to the way it was before evolving. Its like how a Castform changes forms with the weather, but in the case of mega evolution, the Pokemon becomes stronger just like normal evolution, ah, but enough about that, I think you should take a look at the Kalos starter Pokemon before you call, Professor Oak said you would want to see them." Sycamore continued on down the hall.

_'Mega Evolution huh. I wonder…'_ Ash was lost deep in thought when he and the Professor came to their destination. The room was filled with machines emitting colorful lights and a quiet humming noise. Sycamore left Ash to his own devices in the room for a while before returning with a tray with three Pokeballs on it.

"Ash I suspect you know what are in these Pokeballs?" Augustine asked with a smile. He always loved giving out starter Pokemon. The look of amazement in the young trainers' eyes was one of the reasons he loves what he does. Showing the starters to Ash may not be the same as giving one out to a new trainer, but for Sycamore it was almost as entertaining.

Ash nodded in response to the Professors question while Pikachu climbed down from his shoulder and onto a nearby table for a better view. Sycamore began releasing each Pokemon in sequence. "First up we have Fennekin, the fire type." The Professor opened the first Pokeball releasing a small yellow fox with tufts of red fur sticking out of its ears. "Next up is Chespin, the grass type." Another Pokeball opened revealing a small brown Pokemon with a green grassy like material on its back that made it look like it was wearing a little green hoodie. "And last but not least, Froakie." The final Pokeball released a slightly larger blue frog with a white frothy substance surrounding its neck like a scarf. Ash noticed something different about this Froakie from the other starters. Not only did it not respond to being released from the Pokeball, it also looked significantly stronger than the other two starters.

After looking over each Pokemon like a child in a candy store, Ash turned to Sycamore "Hey Professor, why is that Froakie so much stronger than the other two?" He asked.

"I'm surprised you noticed. This particular Froakie is a bit different from the other starters; refusing to listen to its trainer in battle. There have been times when Froakie ran away; simply because it didn't like its trainer, and several trainers have come back to my lab just to return it." Sycamore replied with a heavy sigh.

Ash looked at Froakie; Froakie just kept looking away. "Hey Froakie, I'm sure you'll find a trainer you can get along with. All you need to do is wait." Ash told the blue frog. Froakie seemed surprised that Ash, an experienced trainer, showed interest in it. Most experienced trainers that Sycamore told that story to had suggested releasing Froakie or labeled it some kind of problem Pokemon.

"Ash, why don't you call Professor Oak and watch over these little ones. I need to go make sure Garchomp finished cleaning up our earlier experiment." Sycamore spoke while walking out the door.

_'I'm sure you'll find a good trainer Froakie. You aren't a bad Pokemon.' _Ash felt that Froakie was a good Pokemon at heart. It showed great care not to hurt the weaker Fennekin or Chespin when playing. _'You just need to find a trainer who won't let you down like I did to all of my Pokemon…'_

Ash walked over to the video phone and dialed up Professor Oak's lab.

"Oh hello there Ash. How was your flight? I believe you forgot something." Professor Oak's face appeared on the screen with his typical cheery smile.

Ash scratched the back of his head nervously, "Heh, yeah could you send them over here for me?" He let out a nervous chuckle.

"No problem at all Ash. So has Augustine told you about his research yet?" Oak's face disappeared from the screen as he walked over to get one of Ash's Pokeballs ready for transportation.

Ash's nerves disappeared instantly. Professor Sycamore's research was of great interest to him. "Yeah mega evolution seems so cool! I wonder if any of my Pokemon can mega evolve. That would be so cool. I'm totally stoked." Ash had stars in his eyes. The more he thought about mega evolution, the cooler it seemed to get.

Professor Oak placed the Pokeball he had gotten for Ash on a pedestal and began the transfer process. He looked back at Ash through the screen. "That's the Ash I know." He smiled while speaking, "Mega Evolution seemed right up your ally to me. I figured sending you over to Sycamore would be a good idea, but when you took so long to call, I half expected you to show up on the news or something for getting caught up in some fiasco. It tends to happen to you; you know?" Oak gave a light chuckle as the transfer on the first Pokeball completed and it appeared on the receiving end for Ash.

Ash picked up the ball and placed it on his belt. "Yeah I think this is the first…"

"GAARRRR!" A great roar was heard throughout the lab followed by the sound of a large explosion. Pikachu and Froakie instantly became highly alert. The Fennekin hid behind Froakie, and the Chespin rolled into a ball. It was clear something went wrong, very, very wrong.

Ash turned away from the screen, "Professor, you might want to hold that thought."

* * *

And that's it for chapter two. This chapter is a little slow and I'm not really satisfied; the next few chapters I have out are much better. Its designed to build up the foundation of the story as close to cannon as I can. I wanted to get to the more actiony part this chapter, but I found it rests better in the next chapter. Starting in the next chapter the similarities to cannon should decrease. Also, in chapter 3 Serena becomes a more prominent character. I should have chapter 3 up by next Sunday. Review/Critique/Flame/Whatever


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